Kaman Contemplates Restarting K-Max Helicopter Production

The intermeshing, counter-rotating main rotors of the K-Max eliminate the need for a tail rotor, which means that all engine power is available to lift the helicopter.

Kaman Aerospace (Booth No. 4922) said it is soliciting customer interest here at Heli-Expo to resume production of the civil variant of its K-Max heavy external lift helicopter. The K-Max was certified in 1994, and autonomously piloted models have recently been flying for the U.S. Marines in Afghanistan. Civil versions of the aircraft have long been used in construction, firefighting and logging applications. Kaman shut down the production line in 2003 after 38 were built.

“We regularly receive inquiries from operators interested in buying new K-Max aircraft for a variety of missions across the world,” said Kaman Aerosystems president Jim Larwood. “There is clearly demand for new aircraft to support firefighting, logging or any industry requiring repetitive aerial lift capabilities, and the K-Max is extremely well suited for all of these industrial applications.”